Eden Silva on tennis, Sri Lankan heritage and being a Brown Girl Sport ambassador
- May 1
- 5 min read
Brown Girl Sport sat down with tennis player Eden Silva, as part of the new Brown Girl Sport: Recorded podcast, for a candid chat about tennis, Sri Lankan influence and cultural representation on the court.
‘I’ve been playing since I was about three…’
Silva made her WTA Tour debut in the doubles draw at the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships, but her passion for the sport began at a much earlier age.
“I've been playing tennis since I was about three and a half years old. That's how I like to tell everyone the story of when it started. I look at three-year-olds now, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I was playing tennis at that age, what was wrong with me?'" she told Brown Girl Sport.
Alongside athletic pursuits, fashion has also played an important role in Silva’s life. Her breakthrough in modelling came during the lockdown, when an agency discovered her on Instagram.
“One of the first times I got emailed or messaged was during COVID. A modelling agency wanted to work with me. I did a shoot with them and got to grips with [being] involved on that side. You couldn't do much during COVID, so a lot of it came after.
“I signed with a different agency a couple of years later and got introduced to the clothing brand Vuori, with whom I've had a partnership for a long time. It ended this year, but I did [gain] experience with them in terms of modelling, the photo shoot, and being the face of their tennis line.”
“I grew up watching Serena [Williams] and [Maria] Sharapova - they were my icons. There were so many times I went to the shop, especially when I used to train out in the States, and we’d get the latest Sharapova outfit. Sometimes you look at sport and think maybe you can’t express yourself as much, but there are so many athletes that are pushing the boat on what they can wear," she said.
Culture has played a significant role in shaping Silva’s tennis career, with her grandmother being a particularly strong influence.
“My first tournament was when I was eight years old, an international tournament in France, and she came along. You might not always see her; she's not the tallest, but you can definitely always hear her. She's a very strong, loud, Sri Lankan woman. I remember being younger and getting a little bit embarrassed because I'd be playing against my opponent, they'd hit like a double fault - which is like the worst unforced error you can make in tennis - and she's like, 'yeah, come on, Eden!' And I'm like, Nan, please have some etiquette!"
“She was always there, asking my dad: “When’s Eden on the TV? Can you put her on my TV for me? And before that, she would come to Wimbledon to watch me play. She's been all over [the country], long car journeys, driving to France and more.
“She’s not got the best memory now, but she loves tennis and always says, 'Eden, my granddaughter, she’s so good.' In the state that she is in now mentally, for her to still remember that and talk about it, means a lot.”
Sri Lanka isn’t the only cultural heritage close to Silva’s heart; she’s also half-Russian - a unique blend often overlooked due to societal stereotypes rooted in discrimination.
“If I say I'm mixed-race, they would assume that I may be half-black, half-white instead of a South Asian mix. But I don't know, I've always felt pretty secure in myself. I think that my parents have brought my brother and me up feeling proud," Silva said.
“My dad and grandma would cook the most amazing food. I had so many cousins, aunts and uncles growing up, and I remember going to my nan's house where she cooked a feast for about 20 people, with the most amazing Sri Lankan curries.
“For me, that's the sort of stuff that sticks out as a child growing up: how happy I was growing up.”
‘My body is finally in a good place’
Silva’s career has been shaped by adversity ever since she tore her ACL just two days after her 19th birthday. A decade of surgical complications forced her to confront the reality that singles might no longer be a viable pursuit.
“I was out for a really long time; since then, it's been hindering me for my whole career. I developed really bad chronic tendonitis in my left knee, so the other one. To go through something like that at such a young age tested my mental resilience.
“It's been 10 years of going through pain - not being able to perform how I want to perform on the court or train how I need to in order to keep up with the intensity of the sport. It was about two years ago that I made the decision to stop singles and go mainly into doubles because I was in pain every single day.
“I wasn't able to play a match or a tournament without taking ibuprofen and paracetamol and then waking up the next day in absolute agony…it just wasn't enjoyable for me. So doubles are less strenuous on my body. And as I get older, it feels like a decision best suited to where I want to get with my body in a good place.”
Now thriving, Silva has a clear vision for her goals and plans in this year’s tennis tournaments.
“Last year I reached a career-high ranking in doubles and then played the grass season, got to one of the warm-up tournaments before Wimbledon to the final, played Wimbledon, got to the quarter-finals of the mix there…it was a really good accomplishment. I felt really proud about it.
”After that, I was injured for about two or three months. My ranking dropped, confidence dropped a little bit, too. Since then, I've struggled to get back up to where I want to get. It’s tough [to do] in doubles as you're always relying on your partner. If you've not got a set partner, it’s really hard to build consistency and adds stress on top of the stresses that come with competing."
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